Drawing the Nude

Book excerpt: Drawing the Nude presents an exciting approach to drawing the human body. Divided into three parts, on structure, anatomy and observation, it introduces a set of principles and develops a treasury of ideas for the artist to follow. Whilst recognizing the importance of observation, it focuses more on a conceptual understanding of the construction of the body in anatomical terms. In doing so, it encourages the cultivation of more informed observation and accommodates those who work from memory, imagination and invention. Contents: the drawing of elementary forms that can then be distorted, transformed and combined, leading on to compound forms; explains the use of light and shadows to express form; explains the gesture of the figure through short drawings that analyse the flow of movement through the body; studies the musculo-skeletal form and provides a set of tools for analysing its parts; uses direct and concise drawings, alongside images of digital sculptures of human anatomy; gives practical instruction relevant to both the novice and the experienced figure artist, as well as those working within the visual effects and game industries.Superbly illustrated with 199 images that include digital sculptures of human anatomy and concise drawings.